The School of Psychology and Computer Science invites applications for a PhD (via MPhil) studentship to be based jointly in the Perception, Cognition and Neuroscience (PCN) Group at UCLan (Preston) and at Ashworth Research Centre (ARC) within Ashworth Hospital (a high-secure NHS forensic mental health inpatient unit near Liverpool). The studentship is tenable for three years (subject to satisfactory progress) and will provide an annual tax-free doctoral stipend of £16,062 per year as well as tuition fees at UK/home rate (current rates for UK/Home students are £4600 per annum). International applicants may apply but will be required to pay the difference in tuition fees (current rates for EU/international are £14500 per annum). It is expected the successful applicant will commence in September 2022.
The School of Psychology and Computer Science is part of the Faculty of Science & Technology and is located in the purpose-built Darwin Building. The School has a thriving community of PhD and MSc students and has particularly strong links with regional universities, law enforcement agencies, schools, community groups and NGOs. The PCN and ARC research groups are very well resourced, with state-of-the-art laboratories and equipment necessary for this project and offer intellectually stimulating, academic and forensic mental health care environments. This research context provides very high quality academic and clinical support to cultivate research talent and maximise opportunities for development.
Essential criteria for the post include having a BSc in Psychology or a related discipline, the possession of strong analytical skills, as evidenced by experience of a range of quantitative research methods, an excellent understanding of a range of statistical methods, and the ability to work independently as well as part of a team. The successful candidate will be expected to make a substantial and creative contribution to the thrust of the investigation and to the design of the studies. EU and International applicants require an English Language level of UKVI IELTS 6.5 with no sub-score less than 6.0 (or acceptable UCLan equivalent qualification). Applicants need to meet all essential criteria on the person specification to be considered for interview. In addition to the application form, applicants are required to submit a 500-word summary which considers why this is an important area of academic study, relevant theoretical issues and areas of potential academic and/or practical impact. For informal enquiries please contact Prof. Simon. P. Liversedge: [Email Address Removed]. Please apply online via www.uclan.ac.uk/jobs or by contacting Human Resources on 01772 892324 quoting the reference number. CVs will not be considered unless accompanied by a completed application form
Project Description
The proposed PhD will use eye movement recording techniques to investigate attentional allocation in relation eye movement control in psychopathic and comparison populations. Psychopathy is a clinical syndrome characterised by affective deficit and significant antisocial behaviour. Affective and antisocial dysfunctions in psychopathy are associated with impaired encoding and integration of multicomponent visual information. The project will involve multiple experiments adopting a variety of eye movement paradigms (e.g., main sequence, pro/anti-saccade, remote distractor/gap effect tasks, etc.) to understand attentional allocation and oculomotor control in psychopathy. The successful candidate is expected to have significant input into the nature of the experimental programme. The Ph.D. will provide novel theoretical and clinical insight into fundamental aspects of visuo-cognitive function in this special population. The Ph.D. student will be jointly supervised by Prof. Simon P. Liversedge and Dr Simon Chu working within the Perception, Cognition and Neuroscience group at UCLan (Preston) and the Mersey Care NHS Trust funded Ashworth Research Centre (a high-secure forensic mental health inpatient unit).
Further information
Informal project related enquiries about the post can be made to Prof. Simon P. Liversedge ([Email Address Removed]).
For full details go to:
https://www.uclan.ac.uk/research/research-degrees/studentships
Please apply using the following link, quoting the studentship reference number DTC013
https://my.uclan.ac.uk/BANP/bwskalog.P_DispLoginNon
For any other queries, please email [Email Address Removed].
Closing Date: 24th June 2022
Proposed Interview Date: TBC
CURRENT UCLAN RESEARCH STUDENTS WILL NOT BE ELIGIBLE TO APPLY FOR THIS RESEARCH STUDENTSHIP
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